- Home air quality. What does the purifier help with?
- Good air purifier - filters and several degrees of filtration
- Air purifier performance
- Air purifier - what is the working volume?
- Air purifier - automatic operation
- Air purifier with humidifier function
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Air quality is the most talked about in the context of smog. Meanwhile, it is relevant throughout the year. At home, it is best to take care of it with an air purifier. Properly selected, it catches harmful smog particles, dust, allergens, as well as volatile chemical compounds and unpleasant odors. What should you know about air purifiers?
Contents:
- Home air quality. What does the purifier help with?
- Good air purifier - filters and several degrees of filtration
- Air purifier performance
- Air purifier - what is the working volume?
- Air purifier - automatic operation
- Air purifier with humidifier function
Goodair purifieris a remedy for bad air condition, against which the World He alth Organization (WHO) more and more often warns. We are all exposed to an epidemic of poor air quality. This applies to the air outside as well as in offices and - unfortunately - also in homes. Some furniture and building materials release toxic substances such as formaldehyde, aromatic hydrocarbons and lead. Then they mix with dust, pollen or fungus spores, and unfortunately all this is inhaled into the lungs. Hence the straight path to various diseases, including allergies. The situation becomes even more complicated when smog is added to everything - and more precisely, harmful PM2.5 and PM10 dust.
Home air quality. What does the purifier help with?
The air purifier efficiently catches the following pollutants:
PM2.5 and PM10 smog dusts:i.e. with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less and approximately 10 micrometers, respectively. They are so small that they easily reach the upper respiratory tract with the air inhaled. PM2.5 dust is more harmful because it reaches the alveoli and then the blood. They can also cause various diseases, including cancer (cancer of the lung, sinuses, mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus), ischemic heart disease, arterial hypertension, arrhythmias and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Bacteria, viruses, fungi.Filters used in modern air purifiers catch the smallest microorganisms - includingthe most harmful to he alth.
Dust, pollen, hair:and other particles in the air. Thanks to this, it is an excellent choice for allergy sufferers.
Volatile chemical compounds:o aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzo (a) pyrene), and in the case of interiors - extremely harmful formaldehyde. It comes from certain building materials as well as paints, varnishes, adhesives and synthetic resins. It is also found in tobacco smoke. Why is it dangerous? First of all, it leads to disturbances in the work of the upper respiratory tract, and is also potentially carcinogenic.
Unpleasant odors:e.g. cigarette smoke. This is possible thanks to the carbon filter (more below), which - figuratively speaking - traps the odor particles.
Good air purifier - filters and several degrees of filtration
Modern, advanced and efficient air purifiers must have a properly designed filtration system. The more degrees of filtering, the greater the effectiveness of the device. Producers of air purifiers often propose proprietary technologies related to air filtering. However, the most common types of filters can be reduced to three. It is worth making sure that the air purifier you are interested in has them all:
Pre-filter:it doesn't really have to be the most efficient - the point is to stop the biggest dirt or animal hair, so that the next, more specialized filters wear less and do well deal with dust particles as well as microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses).
HEPA filter:is used to catch particles. The so-called retention, i.e. the percentage rate of air filtration of the smallest particles. Retention should be as close to 100% as possible. In the case of modern purifiers, it is most often above 99%. HEPA 13 and 14 filters provide the best work. We can also make sure what particle size the purifier catches. Remember that the smallest smog ones have a diameter of 2.5 micrometers and lower. Let's take this into account when choosing an air purifier.
Carbon filter:Activated carbon contained in it traps volatile chemical compounds (has a porous structure) and absorbs odors well (e.g. cigarette smoke). However, it wears out quite quickly and should be replaced on average every two or three months.
How often should the filters be changed? You should read about it in the instruction manual of the given device. Often, however, the purifier itself will notify us of this, if it is equipped with a special automatic function for thisintended.
Sometimes, apart from the filters mentioned above, we also encounter an additional -ionic . It emits beneficial negative ions into the air, and these combine with positive (negative - e.g. dust and allergens), thus neutralizing them. Some purifiers also have built-in UV lamps. Such radiation destroys harmful microorganisms: bacteria, fungi and viruses. Nevertheless, it is actually a doubled function, because the purifier filters themselves are good at catching them.
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Air purifier performance
The purifier should always be selected according to the volume of the room. There is no point in buying equipment that filters the air in a very large room, if we put it in a small bedroom or a child's room. It is assumed that the purifier should filter the air in the room four times within an hour. Therefore, the Clean Air Emission Index (CADR) measured in cubic meters per hour will be helpful in choosing a specific model.
Air purifier - what is the working volume?
According to the Polish Standard, the permissible noise level during the day should be up to 40 dB, and at night - up to 30 dB. It is worth remembering about these values when comparing the day and night operating modes of different purifiers. By default, the device working in the most active mode emits the most noise, but we will also meet a special night program, thanks to which air purification does not disturb rest while sleeping.
Air purifier - automatic operation
A significant proportion of modern air purifiers work in an automated manner. They monitor air quality and pollutant concentration on an ongoing basis, and then select the appropriate operating mode for them. Thanks to this, you only need to start the device - because it will "do" everything by itself. Full automation, however, can be troublesome at night (e.g. if the purifier turns on the highest and loudest mode), so it is worth checking if it can be turned off and switch to manual mode.
Air purifier with humidifier function
Modern air purifiers are often equipped with an additional humidifier function. This is an advantageous solution because we can enjoy not only well-cleaned, but also properly moistened air. Optimum humidity in closed rooms should be at the level of 40-60%. Too high can cause a headache and promote infections of the upper respiratory tract, while too low causes a feeling of dryness in the mouth, nose and throat (unpleasant scratching) and even makes breathing difficult. Often, the option of humidifying the purifier can be enrichedfor cooling - just pour cold water or add ice cubes to it. Then the device becomes an air conditioner (or an evaporative air conditioner), which can bring a lot of relief in hot weather.